Heel-clamping device



April 3, 1930. L. s. MACDONALD l 1,753,425

HEEL CLAMP ING DEVI CE Original Filed Nov. 20, 1922 Patented Apr. 8, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LESTER S. MACDONALD, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, F PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY HEEL-CLAMPING DEVICE Original application lerl November 20, 1922, Serial No. 602,120. Divided and this application lerl February 3, 1928. Serial No. 251,682.

This invention relates to apparatus for use in shaping unattached heels and is illustrated as embodied in a clamp or holder for grasping such heels and for presenting them to cutting means by which the heels are to be shaped. The illustrated clamp or holder is disclosed in my application Serial No. 602,120, filed November 20, 1922, the present application being a division of the aforesaid application.

In the shoe repairing trade it is necessary in some cases to furnish fully shaped high heels, including Louis heels, to re lace worn or damaged heels of womens s oes, but, owing to the great variety of styles in proportion to the number of replacement heels required of a repair shop, few, if any, repair shops are equipped with suitable machines for shaping high heels. To meet these lconditions some manufacturers have undertaken the manufacture of fully shaped high heels for distribution to the repair trade.

In the production of fully shaped, unattached, high heels for the purpose explained above, and as more fully disclosed in my said application Serial No. 602,120, theshaping of the heels must be performed without any shoes to hold the heels or to control or guide 'the shaping of them. Accordingly, it has been proposed to place the heels successively in a llght, portable holder adapted to clamp a heel by its attaching face and its toplift face and to use the holder to present the heel to the cutter or cutters of a heel-trimming machine. Moreover, to insure the desired shape as well as uniformity of heels intended to2-be exactly alike, some 'means must be provided to control the shaping operation so that both the attaching face and the toplift face of the shaped heel will conform to predetermined standards. Various types of` h'eel clamps or holders for this use have heretofore been proposed but for-.one reason or anotherthey have not fulfilled all the various requirements and have not beenentirely satisfactory.

In view of the conditions above explained, the present invention provides an improved heel clamp or holder desi ed to facilitate rapid and accurate pro uction of fully shaped, unattached lheels of the type referred to. Accordingly, a novel feature of the in- -vention consists in a heel clamp or holder provided with cooperative clamping jaws and improved means for securing detachable heel templets to said jaws, to the end that templets of various shapes and sizes may be quickly substituted one for another, as occasion requires.

A characteristic of high heels is the socalled wedge, that is, the angular relation between the attaching face and the top-lift face. .This wedge is greater in some heels than in others, the highest heels usually having the greatest degree of wedge. The non- Again, it is often the case that heels of one l lot differ from those of another lot in the matter of height. Therefore, with this condition in view, still another feature of the invention consists in an improved construc- 'tion that provides not only for relatively adjusting the cooperative clamping members according to the angle of the wedge, but also for relatively adjusting them according to theffheight of the heel, and thatalsoprovides Y for effecting each of these adjustments independently of the other and independently of the mechanism by which the clamping movement is caused. l

The novel features above mentioned, as well as others, are hereinafter described with ref- `erence to the accompanying drawmgs and are pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofa portable heel clamp constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention, an untrimmed heel blank being clamped thereby;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view including a dej and breast are shaped.

tachable templet for engaging a top lift and a portion of the clamping jaw that carries said templet;

Fig. 3 is/a pers ective view, including a templet for engaging the attaching face of vnumerals used therein are used to designate the same elements as shown in this application.

' A rough heel blank 1() of the type comprising a plurality ofleather or leather board lifts is first placed in a portable heel clamp or carrier as shown in Fig. 1, and is maintained in one relation to said carrier throughout the loperations by which its periphery 'lhis carrier comprises a frame 11 having arrigid handle portion 12 which constitutes one half of hand grip for two relatively movable heel clamping jaws, the other half of the grip being afforded by a relatively movable handle niem- `-ber 13 connected to the frame by a pivot 14.

One of the relatively movable jaws by which the heel blank is clamped carries a templet 15 and the other carries a templet 16. The confronting faces of these templets engage, respectively, the attaching face and the untrimmed top lift of the heel blank. rihe jaw that carries the templet 15 comprises an angularly adjustable head 17 and an axially adjustable shank 18. The latter is preferably cylindric to lit in a cylindricbore 19 in the frame 11. To prevent the shank from turning about its axis it is provided with a longitudinal groove 20 to receive ,a feather 21 affixed to the frame. To provide for axial adjustment of the shank 18 relatively to the frame 11 the shankl is bored and tapped and its internal screw-thread 22 is occupied by an adjusting screw 23. A hollow handwheel 24 is affixed to the outer end of the screw by a pin 25. A flange 26 formed on the screw is seated against a shoulder in the bore 19, while the interior of the hand wheel is seated against an extremity of the frame 11. These elements prevent end-play of the adjusting screw but permit rotation thereof. This construction provides for adjusting the stationary jaw in a right line according to the height of the heel. A spring-stressed follower 27 is arranged in a socket formed in the frame l1 to hold the adjusting screw 23l in various positions of adjustment, the han dwheel having a circular series of depressions 28 in any one of whichthe follower may be seated. Y

The head 17 is connected to the shank 18 by a pivot 29 so that the templet 15 may have megane angular-adjustment according to the degree of wedge of the heel blank. Such angular adjustment is edected and all positions of adjustment are positively maintained by a thumb nut 30. 'and-screw 31, one end of the screw being connected to the head 17 by a transverse pin 32, and the head having slots 33 in which the ends of the pin are arranged to prevent' binding of the parts. The nut 30 is embraced by and the screw extends through confronting portions of the shank member 18.' A spring follower 7 engages the milled periphery of the nut 30 to prevent accidental turning of the latter. lt is to be observed that the angular adjustment of the head 17 and the rectilinear adjustment thereof may be effected independently of each other. Moreover, as hereinafter shown, either or both of these adjustments may be changed vin a device of the type shown in which the movable clamping jaw is moved by its operating mechanism to the sameoperative position in all cases.

The head 17 and templet 15 are preferably provided with cooperative connecting devices by which the templet may be quickly attached and detached, so that templets of various styles may be interchanged according to 'the requirements of the work to be trimmed. As shown best by Fig. 3, the templet carries la dowel pin 34 and is provided with a dowel hole 35, while the head 17 is provided with a dowel hole 36 to receive the pin 34 and is also provided with a dowel 37 that may occupy the dowel hole 35. As a convenient means for locking the templet to the head the latter is provided with a socket intersecting the dowel hc-le 36, and a locking pin 38 is arranged to slide in this socket. A compression spring 39 normally holds the pin in locking position where it may occupy a notch or groove 40 formed in the dowel 34. The locking pin has a stem that projects so that it may be pushed in by a thumb or linger to displace the locking portion of the pin from the dowel hole 36. A hole formed in the templet gives access to the projecting end of the locking pin.

The templet 15, as shown, is made of sheet metal, which construction is both economical and advantageous for wedge heels, since the sheet metal ma be pressed to provide marginal wings or anges 15X, and confronting wedge-shaped web portions 41, 41 approximating in degree the wedge angle of the heel. The portions 41` counteract the wedge angle to permit the flanges 15 (which furnish portions of the effective contour of the templet) to lie in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the top lift of the heel. connected by a body portion 42 thelrear edge of which furnishes an intermediate portion of the effective contour of the templet 15 and merges with the edges of the` flanges 15x as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The body portion 42 is provided with a convex heel-engaging plate 43 designed to conform to the concavity of the attaching face of the heel. The plate 43 may be permanently connected to the body portion 42 in any desired Way such as by wel ing or by rivets. Theplate 43 is preferably provided with spurs 44 to indent the attaching face of the heel and thereby prevent the latter from slipping. As shown, there are three such spurs, one at the back and one near each breast corner.

The templet 16 isfa flat plate ,carried by a movable clamping jaw 45 the operative position of which is constant relatively to the frame 11. As shown, this jaw is in the form of a lever and has a pin 46 for its fulcrum. The anchorage for the pin 46 is formed by a forked end of an arm 47, said arm being preferably made of steel for the sake of strength, whereas the frame 11 is preferably made of aluminum for the sake of lightness. The supporting arm 47 is rigidly connected tothe` frame 11 by two anchoring members 48 which,

y one ofl two cooperative links.

for reasons hereinafter explained, are preferably tubular.

The preferred form of mechanism for operating the jaw 45 comprises toggle links, since such mechanism affords a maximum of vclamping stress with a minimum of applied v force, is adapted to furnish clamping movement of constant amplitude in every case, is double-acting with regard to moving the jaw 1n opposite d1rect1on`s,and 1s self-retaining in clamping position, provided it is designed toV cross the dead-center position. To provide toggle mechanism for this purpose a portion of the handle member 13 may be utilized as The toggle is completed by a link49l one end of which is pivotally connected to the handle member 13 by a pin 50, while the other end is connected to the lever 45 by a pin 51. The arrangement is such that when the handle member 13 is separated from the member 12 it opens the clamping jaw 45, but does not move so far as to prevent grasping both handle members simultaneously with one hand. When the grip of the hand is tightened the member 13 moves the center pivot 50 of the toggle across the dead center, whereupon two cooperative abutments 52, 53 immediately arrest the movement to prevent any appreciable relaxation of the clamping action on the heel. The handle members 12 and 13 serve also as components of a single handle by which `to manipulate the heel while its periphery is being shaped. In fact, these handles serve continuously as the principal means by which the device may be held from the moment when they are closed rlhe wedge-shaped portions 41 are to clamp an untrimmed heel blank until they are opened after the periphery and breast of the heel have been shaped.

The templet 16, 'like the templet 15, is preferably detachable fromits'carrier 45 to provide for the substitution of other templets differing one from another according to the size and style of heels to betrimmed. The templet is therefore provided with a dowel 54 which enters a dowel hole 55in thel carrier, the latter having a dowel 56 that enters a hole 57 in the templet. A socket is formed in the carrier to intersect the hole 'and is occupied by a locking pin 58 which is normally held in locking position by a compression spring 59. The locking pin hasa stem 60 that projects so that the locking portion may be moved back from the hole 55. When the parts: are assembled, the locking portion of the pin 58 occupies a notch or groove 61 'formed in the pin 54. Each templet .16 is preferably provided with a spur 62 to indent the toplift of the heel so that the latter will not slip. The periphery of the templet is used to determine the contour to be imparted to the top lift of the heel. A 'groove 63 is preferably `formed in the periphery for a purpose hereinafter explained. y

'lhe heel-clamp or carrier is so designed that it may be manipulated in substantially the same manner as a shoe for the purpose of trimming the periphery of the heel, the handle portions 12 and,13 being substantially in line with the heel and occupying a relation thereto substantially equivalent kto that of the forepart of a shoe relatively to the heel thereof. The hand-wheel 24 is useful not only to adjust one of the clamping jaws according to the thickness of the heel but also as A heel blank having been clamped in the carrier as shown by Fig. 1, the assemblage is ready to be presented either to a heel-breastin g machine or to a machine for trimming the periphery. Fig. 4 illustrates a portion of a well-known type of commercial trimming machine su plemented with guards formed and arrange to cooperate respectively with the templets 15 and 16 to insure shaping the sides and back of the heel according to a predete;- mined standard. ,This trimming machine comprises, as usual, a cutter-head .64 carried by a rotary shaft 65 and intended to be driven at high speed in the direction indicated by an arrow. The cutters are shaped to impart a desired prolile to the heel, for example, the )profile represented by a dotted line 9 in F ig. 1.

The trimming guards, indicated at 66 and 67, are arranged so that the cutter-head is between them. The guard 66 is provided drawings of this application. Moreover, the, said breast-trimming machine is provided Y has a plain, substantially cylindric surface on which the perimeter of the templet l5 will bear so that the point of Contact may shift toward and from the guard 66 without appreciable resistance. The trimming machine is also provided with a stationary heel-rest 69. These elements are sufficient to insure uni-` Yform shaping, provided the portable assemblage is maintained in Contact with all three of them While it is being manipulated.

In practice the operative will place the heel on the heel rest 69 sotliat the templets 15 and 16 will engage theguards as shown, and will maintain the heel on the rest and also maintain the templets against the guards while manipulating the heel-carrier to rock the heel while the cutter,l trims. The depth of trimming is positively limited by the two guard-and-templet couples so that a predetermined result is assured. As the angle of the heel carrier changes in consequence of rocking it therib 68 and the groove 63 will preventthe heel-carrier from being shifted laterally, provided aV slight pressure is main-v tained against the rib. Therefore, if the templet 175 is not strictly parallel to the templet lits point ofcontact with the guard 67 will shift laterally without any noticeable effect in the action of the heelcarrier and also without any lateral deviation of the top lift relative to the cutters. The results of trimming a plurality of heels can not be otherwise than uniform if the templetsjare maintained in contact with their respective guards.

The guard \67 is provided with a cylindric shank or stem 74 which is held by a split clamping fixture 75 so that it may be adj usted rotatively about the axis of the shank and also adjusted lengthwise of said axis, according to the dimensions of the cutters, the heels and the templets. rIhe clamping portions of the fixture 75 are tightened by a b olt 7 6.

As hereinbeforestated, the arm 47 of the heel-clampingdevice is rigidly connected to the frame 11 by two anchoring members 48.

f These anchoring members may be utilized for the additional purpose of registering the clamped heel in a certain predetermined relation to the trimming cutter of a machine for trimming the breast of the heel. Such a machine is disclosed in my aforesaid application Serial No. 602,120 as comprising a reciprocatory cutter adapted to trim the breast of the heel from side to side and to impart to the heel a breast face of the shape represented by a broken line 8 in Fig. l of the with two dowels or jig pins adapted to`cooperate with the above-mentioned anchoring members 48 for the purpose of insuring the desired position of the clamped heel with regard to the path of the breasting cutter. lIn view of this latter function the tubular form of the members 48 is preferable, since it provides the heel-clamp or holder with sockets to receive the jig pins but does not encumber the heel-clamp wlth any projectingelement.l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device for holding an unattached heel comprising relatively movable jaws connected to eachother in cooperative clamping relation and provided with plates one to engage the attaching face of-a heel while the other engages the toplift face thereof, means carried by one of said jaws to adjust and maintain the plate 'thereof in various angular relations to the other one of said plates according to the wedge angle of the heel, and means for relatively moving said jaws to clamp the heel.

2. A device for holding an unattached heel comprising a frame having a stationary jaw, a movable jaw carried by said frame, said jaws being provided with plates one to en gage the attaching face of a heel while the other engages the top lift face thereof, means carried by said stationary aw to adjust and maintain the plate thereof according to the wedge angle of the heel, and means carried by said frame for moving said movable jaw to clamp the heel.

3., A device for holding an unattached heel comprising a frame, a stationary jaw and a movable jaw carried by said frame, plates carried by said jaws, respectively, one to engage the attaching face of a heel while the other engages the top-lift face thereof, said stationary jawbeing adjustable toward and from saidmovable jaw according to the height of the heel, and one of said plates being angularly adjustable relative to its jaw according to the wedge angle of the heel, and means carried by said frame for imparting clamping movement of constant amplitude to said movable jaw.

4., A device for holding an unattached heel comprising a frame, a stationary jaw and a movable jaw carried by said frame, said jaws 'being provided with plates one to engage the attaching face of afheel while the other engages the top lift face thereof, means for adjusting said stationary jaw toward and from said movable jaw according to the height of the heel, means carried by said stationary jaw for effecting and maintaining angular adjustment of the plate carried thereby according to the wedge angle of the heel, and means carried by said frame to impart clamping movement of constant amplitude to said movable jaw.

5. A device for holding an unattached heel .comprising a frame, a stationary jaw and a movable jaw carried thereby, said stationary jaw being adjustable toward and from said movable j aw,'a member carried by and pivotally connected to said stationary jaw, said member and said moyablej aw being provided with plates for engaging respectively the attaching face and the top lift face of a heel, means arranged to effect and maintain angular adjustment of said member in accordance with the wedge angle of the heel, and means provided with toggle links for operating said movable jaw to clamp the heel.

6. A device for holding an unattached heel comprising a frame, a stationary jaw and a movable jaw carried thereby and arranged vto clamp a heel by its attaching face and its top lift face, operating mechanism provided with toggle links for moving said movable jaw toward and from said stationary jaw, and means for adjustingl said stationary jaw toward and from said movable jaw.

7 .Y A portable unit for holding an unattached heel comprising a frame, a` stat-ionary jaw and a movable jaw carried thereby and arranged to clamp a heel by its attaching face and its top-lift face, the said jawfor engaging the attaching face having an angularly adjustable heel-engaging part adapted to counteract the wedge angle of the heel, means `for adjusting said stationary jaw towardand `from said movable aw according to the height of the heel, an operating mechanism for moving said movable jaw in every case ([310 ihe'same operative position to clamp the 8. A device for holding an unattached heel comprising a frame, a stationary jaw adjustably secured thereto, a movable jaw carried by said frame, said jaws being arranged to clamp a heel by its attaching face and its toplift face, operating mechanism provided with toggle links for moving said movable jaw to and from one invariable operative position corresponding substantially to the dead-center position of said links, and means for adjusting said stationary jaw to regulate the space available for a heel when said toggle links are at their dead-center position.

9. A device for holding an unattached heel comprising a frame, a stationary jaw and a movable jaw carried by said frame, templets carried by said jaws respectively to clamp a heel by its attaching face and its top-lift face, said jaws and said templets having, respectively, sockets and dowels for connecting them, said dowels having retaining grooves and said jaws being provided with springstressed retaining elements arranged to cooperate with said grooves, and operating means carried by said frame for imparting clamping movement to said movable jaw.

10. A portable unit for holding an unattached heel comprising a frame provided with cooperative clamping-jaws, cooperative templets carried by said jaws, respectively, to clamp a heel by its attaching faceand its toplift face, one of said templets having a peripheral groove adapted to receive and. cooperate with a rib to maintain the heel against lateral displacement relative a heel-shapattaching face and its top-li ing cutter,'and means carried by saidframe`h ing face and its top-lift face, said frame b e-v ing also provided with sockets to receive jig pins for registering the clamped heel relative to a cutter adapted to shape the breast of the heel.

12. A portable unit for holding an unattached heel comprising a frame provided with clamping means and templets adapted to clam a heel by its attaching face and its toplift ace, said templets being also adapted to co-operate with guards to control the shaping of the sides and back of the clamped heel by a trimming cutter, and said frame having sockets adapted to receive jig pins for registering the heel relative to a heel-breasting cutter. j Y

13. A heel carrier comprising a frame provided with two cooperative members, one stationary and the other movable, fuor clamping a heel by its attaching aceand its top-lift face, and means for actuating said movable j member to clamp the heel, said stationary member bein angularly adjustable according to the we ge angle of the heel.

14. A heel carrier comprising a frame provided with two cooperative members, one stationary and the other movable, for clamping a heel by its attaching face and its toplift face, and means for actuating said movable member to clamp a heel, said stationary member being adjustable angularly and otherwise according to the wedge angle and height of the heel.

15. A heel carrier comprising a frame provided with a stationary templet and a movv able templet arranged vto clam a heel by its face, means for ad'usting said stationary templet to suit the height of the heel, means to adjust said stationary templet an ularly to suit the wedge angle of the heel, and means for opelraing the movable templet to clamp the 16. A heel carrier comprising a frame having a bore, a shank arranged to slide longitudinally in said bore, a head carried by and pivotally connected to said shank outside said bore, means for adjusting said shank length- Wise, means for adjusting said head angularly relative to said shank, a templet carried by said head, and means including another tem let for clamping a heel again the first said templet. i

` 17 A heel carrier comprising a frame having cooperative jaws for clamping a heel, and mechanism for relatively moving said jaws to Iclamp a heel between them, each of said jaws being provided witha detachable heelengaging templet, dowels for locating the lll templet, and a spring-stressed locking device for holding the templet attachedso that it may be released by displacing said device against the spring stress.,`

18. A heel carrier comprising a frame having cooperative jaws for .clamplng a heel, and mechanism for relatively moving said jaws to clamp a heel between them, each of said jaws being provided with a detachable heelengaging templet, means for registering the temple@ and means movable to one position to lock the templet and to another position to release it.

19., A. templet for engaging a concave attaching face of a high heel, provided with a convex surface constituting a counterpart of such concave attaching face with a perimetral guiding portion angularly related to said convex surface to counteract the wedge angle of the heel so that said guiding portion will be substantially parallel to the top-lift faceof a heel seated on said convex surface.,

20. A sheet metal lternplet formed to provide confronting Wedge-shaped web portions, a bodg portion connecting said web, portions; and anges projecting aterally from said webportions, said flanges and the rear edge of said body portion being merged and furnishing the perimetral contour of the templet, said body portion being provided with a convex seat for the concave attaching face of a high heel and said web portions being shaped to counteract the wedge angle o'the heel so that said iianges will be substantially parallel to the top-lift face of the heel.

21., A device for holding an unattached heel comprising a Jframe provided with cooperative clamping jaws, a templet carried by one of said jaws for enga ing the top-lift face of a high heel, a we ge-shaped unit carried by the other one of said jaws, said unit having a seat for the attaching face of the heel and a perimetral flange constituting a templet, said seat being angularly related to said Hangeto counteract the wedge angle of the heel so that said flange will be substantially parallel to said top-lift templet, and means for relatively moving said jaws to clamp the heel.

In testimony whereof have signed my I name to this specification.

LESTER S.y MACDONALD. 

